What Are You Reading Monday

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.


This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yep. Love this one, too. It's just similar enough to I Want My Hat Back to be funny (and it would be funny w/o that ... I just like the similarities together) and different enough to not be an annoying copycat.
#teambigfish #bowlersarecool #thoughIcannotpullthemoff

Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love the colorful photographs. And the collection of information about the season.
Only the kids that "study" seasons? The little ones? They couldn't read this. And it skips around too much in topic to really read aloud. :/
Still like it, though. Next time ... maybe separate it into a couple smaller books ? Or do the "5 senses" for all of the seasons. Or "shapes." Or "animals."

Horseplay by Karma Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Great candidate for checking out of the library. Not one where I HAVE to own a personal copy.
Funny. A few of the rhymes are just a little forced.

The Hueys in the New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Will definitely watch this series as O.J.'s sense of humor is quirky fun. :)
But it's not my new favorite by him. Not yet, anyway.

Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka


Once you get the hang of the fact it's all wrong it's quite fun!



Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Like the art best of all. Story's decent but nothing super different or awe-inspiring.
Well. Except for the one little twist at the end. Kids enjoyed that. ;]

Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun pics ... love the mirror with the big grin and googly eyeballs. And the eyeball night light.

Captain Disaster by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Squish. He's a good amoeba at heart. Not perfect but he's trying.

Play as a team. Great advice.


Geronimo Stilton #6: Who Stole the Mona Lisa? by Geronimo Stilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First ever actually read Geronimo Stilton.
I can see the appeal.



Geronimo Stilton #10: Geronimo Stilton Saves the Olympics by Geronimo Stilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All the little bits of facts thrown in are fun.



Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well ... that was super depressing. Why did I think it sounded interesting? :[






In the Middle Of ...


Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk by Megan McDonald

So far ... it's OK. Never actually read a Judy Moody before this. Not sure I love it?




Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Not sure I'll love this one, either. But there is still time!





Show Me a Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children's Storytelling by Emily K. Neuburger

Want to try some of the projects! May have to wait until November break, though. All you people who get a two week fall break. I'm jealous.



In Pictures and in Words: Teaching the Qualities of Good Writing Through Illustration Study by Katie Wood Ray

I NEED TO SIT DOWN AND FINISH THIS! I was enjoying it. Just got out of the groove.


Pie by Sarah Weeks

Googly-Eyed Monsters

Eyeball plates (Target or Michaels ... I can't remember which) plus some butcher paper = easy fun.

Now IF ONLY I could find all the bats and owls I cut out with my Silhouette Cameo this summer I'd be set. #thoughtIwassosmart #didsomecandycanestoo #wherearethey??????


-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday Pins

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Angie on Pinterest

Or get mad and think you are not being helpful when you truly don't know the answer. #canthelpyouwhenIdontknow #notlikeIactuallygotanytrainingforthis

Source: someecards.com via Angie on Pinterest

Amen.

Source: everydayisacreativeday.blogspot.com via Angie on Pinterest

Wrapped up books? #thinkingahead #Ialsolovethesnowmen

Source: partywithgatsby.polyvore.com via Angie on Pinterest

Still way too stinking hot to wear this where I live.

Books Set in or About Autumn

The Dog Who Belonged to No One by Amy Hest

Technically not about autumn but has the most beautiful autumn colors and setting all throughout.




Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson

LOVE Bear. Love the fall colors in the illustrations. Can usually read this one with realism because in the fall my allergies kick into high gear. Fall and spring.




Mouse's First Fall by Lauren Thompson

Super cute illustrations but not much of a story. Wouldn't base an entire lesson around it but could be a nice additional selection.






Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka

Haven't read this one yet but it looks so cute! I am going to track it down.




Leaf Trouble by Jonathan Emmett

Ever so cute.




When The Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger

I need to read this one again with PreK. Will I have time before winter?




Little Critter: The Fall Festival by Mercer Mayer

Little Critter was a favorite even before I knew I was going to be a librarian.






Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Another one I want to read again so I can count it on Goodreads. Love the illustrations and the efforts of the Bear.

Also ... check out this handy related post on starting graphing with the little ones!



The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner

Not a picture book ... but a fun one all the same. Maybe a read aloud for ... third grade and up. If you don't live in a place with lots of different trees that lose their leaves in the fall (like oh ... TEXAS) then make sure to include some images of what a fall season with color looks like in the pre-read booktalk. The kids might not know otherwise. Plus the author is so nice. :]


Do you have any favorites?

There is Always a First.

Not to creep anyone out but this made me laugh. For an iPhone pic (can you tell the cover is for a 3G and doesn't fit quite right? That's what the green along the bottom is ... hello old Psych phone case because new Psych tv show phone case was LAME) it's not bad, no? Or maybe it is. I HATE HAVING MY PICTURE TAKEN!!!!!

Done in Picmonkey. If you should want to creep anyone out. To FIND the five pics on Morguefile, download, reupload and creepify ... twenty-nine minutes. No, it will never look super professional but it works, doesn't it? Couldn't kiddos creepify a pic and use it for a story prompt? If you know your kids and parents and that they'd be OK with that. I think it would be fun.

Anyway. Back to our regularly scheduled kids/YA/occasional "grown-up" books, tech fun (this falls under that!)  and elementary library stuff.

PS Does anyone know ... with iOS6. It creeps me out to have location stuff in my photos. I used to have it blocked. Not to call attention to that here ... but is it still blocked?

Professional Development

photo credit: pinkpurse via photopin cc

(Not that the day was a total frustration ... was relatively decent, actually, as prof. dev. usually go. I just found this pic when looking for one to add to my presentation on frustrations with e-books and all the different vendors. And it made me laugh. So I had to use it again. ;)


Whole day. Let's see ... shall we recap?

8 AM Training on inputting interventions into database. I don't really do that (so far have not been asked to tutor in small groups ... I have done bookclubs while teachers worked with small groups but no RTI data stuff for me yet! Let's keep it that way!) so I sat in the back. :/

9 AM ish Counselors talking about how students come with background "stuff" in their backpacks. Yes. I'm sure that is true. :/ Also some "birds of a feather" personality assessment. Apparently I am an owl.

http://www.mycutegraphics.com/

10 AM Writer's Workshop. I can deal with this one. Pretty much know most of it and some does not apply ... but it is a reminder that I could (somehow? WHEN I don't know but somehow?) be pulling more mentor texts.

11 AM ish Lunch. Oh, lunch. Why are you so hard? Packing you takes me thinking than I usually have. Plus they don't taste good. Running out to get something gets expensive plus I usually don't make wise choices there, either.

12:30 PM New state tech standards FINALLY coming into play. FINALLY. Also a teacher and/or (they don't really know yet :/) digital portfolio. I can get behind that. MUCH more useful than the ridiculous tests we had to take a year or two ago.

1 PM I am on! K-2 e-books in our online catalog and databases. Also a little bit of e-writing with Kerpoof and Storybird. Mostly e-books in the catalog. 3-5 with ITS learning Teacher Web stuff.

2 PM And we switch! 3-5 comes in and a lovely teacher starts them off with the Turning Point Response systems "clickers." Of course there had been a software update which confused everyone. She pulled through like a champ, though. I took about 20 minutes talking to 3-5 about e-books when she was done. K-2 in with Teacher Web stuff.

3 PM SMART Notebook Gallery Also presented by another teacher (THANK YOU K. & S.!). Everyone was tired by then but hey. If we got one teacher to not be afraid to open up the program and play with it so much the better.


Once upon a time I'd sort of planned out four hours of digital storytelling (the original amount of time me, myself, and I was going to have to fill ... eeeeeek! multiplied!) and I started pinning. Eventually. Would be SO AWESOME, wouldn't it? But not with only me teaching. Other people, too, please.

What Are You Reading Monday

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.


Do you get today off of school? Our students do ... but the teachers don't. #drat :X


One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin by Kathryn Lasky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting. Darwin was fascinated by the world around him. Have to give him credit for that. I quite enjoyed the illustrations. Plus the title is GENIUS.

Bink and Gollie, Two for One by Kate DiCamillo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Don't get me wrong with the three stars. I did like it. Just not quite as much as the first. LOVE the illustrations.



The Kill Order by James Dashner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmmmm. Don't quite get the purpose of this one. Any questions about the original trilogy that I might have had ... well. Totally useless review for other readers because all I can really say is I don't get the point of this one.




Up Next


The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

My e-arc is going to expire VERY soon. #guessIlljusthavetobuyit
I did like the first one so that's not so bad. Had a bunch of e-arcs expire on me. I forget about them sometimes. A lot. A pile of books is easier to see.




Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Checked out from library. Curious ... sounds good but doesn't have super reviews.





Captain Disaster by Jennifer L. Holm

He's just funny.